Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 20/98) - Spirit Yk has restarted its efforts to make history a more visible part of Yellowknife.

"Nothing depicts the city's mining history," says prospector Walt Humphries.

Humphries was among 20 people who gathered at the Royal Canadian Legion hall Wednesday evening to revisit the idea of getting a mining museum on the go.

"There is no place where people can go and see ore from the mines," Humphries told those who gathered.

Everyone agreed the city needs a mining museum for visitors and residents to learn about the history and geology of the North.

Among the unknowns is where such a museum would best be located. The city's old liquor warehouse and RWED's building in Old Town were suggested. Another option talked about was the possibility of space at Giant mine.

Steve Roebuck, a geologist at Giant mine, suggested incorporating a museum at the mine site would be a good idea because visitors to an operating museum could go underground.

It was suggested the A shaft might be a potential spot for visitors to get a hands-on look at mining. Upgrading A shaft to accommodate tours would involve "significant" capital costs, another person said.

It was suggested that a potential museum near Giant would also open up the opportunity to show visitors the nearby geology.

Roebuck noted that whenever people go on underground tours at the mine, they're amazed by what they see.

"They have a better understanding of the complexities of underground mining," he said.

"If it's not interactive, it's just a roomful of rocks."

The group decided to review a study done about 10 years ago by the NWT Chamber of Mines on a possible museum and review the possible sites.

As well, Spirit Yk will likely incorporate under a new name, Spirit Yk 2000 and pursue funding.

The organization was formed in the early 1980s to preserve some of the city's history.

The group discussed funding options like the federal Millennium Fund as well as the Community Initiatives territorial funding program.

As well as a potential museum, the group discussed its efforts to launch a mining display up at the airport.

Merlin Williams said the display initiative is moving forward and items have been collected.

"We've retrieved a diamond drill abandoned 40 years ago," said Williams.

This is "a unique piece of machinery," he said, adding the group has collected other items for the airport display.